• Presbiopia
• Cataracts

It is important to understand that problems related to the eyes are not simple conditions that can be washed away with a few eye drops.

Between 40 and 50 years of age, humans lose this variable focus of the lens of the eye.

Many people think a cataract is an actual film over the eye causing their vision to become blurry. Its actually the lens inside the eye which is becoming cloudy.

Burnett describes the treatment of post-climacteric cataract using a constitutional course of homeopathic treatment.

from p. 1

Example cases of dry eye

53 year old post menopause female with a chief complaint of extreme dry eyes.

Feels like there is real hard sand on lower eyelid. When she goes out into the sun or watches TV. She blinks a lot and has trouble holding her eyes open. Eyes are scratchy. When she showers it does not help. Splashing water on her eyes will help for a couple seconds. Moisture drops do not do any good.

Her life has been a struggle. Her husband died and left her with 3 children .He was never around when he was alive. He was an alcoholic. Married again. He had 4 grown adult children who rejected her. She is trying to make the best of it.

Sores on face and back. Skin doctor called them lesions. They bleed because she picked at them. They were a real deep itchy. She cant stand sores on her body. She has to pick at them.

Arthritis in the back behind her knee, there is a pain like a pressure. Walking and muscle rub relieves the pressure. She only has this before it rains. Before a really bad storm it will bother her. Wet weather bothers her more.

She likes to keep moving. There are things to be done and she will do it. .She cant understand how people can sit and not do anything.

Right now she feels bound. It is part of life. Everyone on earth has things they have to live with. They have rules and guidelines they can't change. She believes in prayer and prays that she has peace.

Late in the evening she tends to think more about her family; kids, grand kids and her husband's health.

She is superstitious. If she spills salt she throws it over her shoulder. If she puts something on backwards she will not put it on and wear it.

She likes cold milk.

She sleeps fine except before storm when the barometric pressure is heavy. She rolls and tosses because her bones hurt. Her knees and the back of her legs.

She is cold blooded. She does not produce a lot of heat. When she was younger the cold bothered her. She hated to get chilled

There are many keynotes for Rhus-t. The dry eyes, the feeling that l life is a struggle, she is always tired. Restlessness. She rolls and tosses at night. She likes cold milk. Tends to worry and think about her family late in the evening. Sankaran states that the first remedy for the wife of an alcoholic is Rhus-t.

Her eye symptoms, mental and emotional state greatly improved with Rhus toxicodendron.

Other conditions present during the menopausal years include presbyopia and cataracts. However these are found in both sexes during the aging process and are not directly attributable to menopause.

Presbyopia

Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the ability comfortably to sustain the change of focus for clear, near vision. Between 40 and 50 years of age, humans lose this variable focus of the lens of the eye. Symptoms include blurred or uncomfortable near vision and blurred distance vision after prolonged use of near vision.

Here are some rubrics from Kent and a few homeopathic remedies. There are 15 remedies in Synthesis and here is some information regarding some of the 2^nd degree remedies.

A straightforward rubric to use is VISION, ACCOMMODATION, defective.

Agaricus: Type seems to move while reading. Vision dim like looking through a veil. Twitching and spasms of the eyelids, drooping of the upper lids. Pressure and heaviness in the eyes with sensitivity to light.

Argentum nitricum: Sight vanishes when reading. Obscuration of sight with anxiety. Heaviness of the eye with difficulty opening them. Pain better in the cool open air, worse in a warm room. Margins of eyelids are red and sore.

Hydrastis: Profuse secretion of tears and burning. Photophobia and sneezing. Flickering of vision in bright yellow light.

Natrum Muriaticum: Sudden darkness before the eyes. Objects become confused when looking at them. Letters run together. The eyes give out while reading or writing. Eyelids become red and burning especially in the evening while reading. Acrid tears which make the canthi red and sore.

Physostigma: Drawing, twisting sensation in the eyes. Eyes sore and give pain when moved side to side. Film over the eyes and objects mix together when reading. Contraction of pupils. Spasms of accommodation.

VISION, ACCOMMODATION, defective, slow:

Conium: Pressure in the eyes while reading. Burning in the eyes . Aching pain across the eyebrows and mistiness of vision. Sluggishness of accommodation. Vision good for fixed vision, but when object is put into motion there is a haze and dimness producing vertigo.

Gelsemium: Dimness of sight and vertigo. Glimmering appearance before the eye. Objects appear double. Diplopia which can be controlled by an effort of will. Great heaviness of the eyelids. Aversion to light. Eyes tire on using for near vision.

Remedies associated with menopausal symptoms and loss of accommodation are: Agar, Arg-n, and Hydr.

Cataract

In addition to the loss of elasticity and the development of presbyopia, the human lens also begins to harden and become cloudy during aging. Many people think a cataract is an actual film over the eye causing their vision to become blurry. Its actually the lens inside the eye which is becoming cloudy.

Studies have shown that antioxidants slow the progression of cataracts. These antioxidants include Vitamin A, C, E, zinc, and selenium. Two studies have assessed specific vitamin C or E supplement use and risk of cataract. In a case-control study conducted in Canada, 46% reduction in cataract was noted among persons who had used vitamin C supplements over the previous 5 years and a 55% reduction among those who had used vitamin E supplements. (I would suggest using 500mg of Vitamin C twice a day and 300 I.U. of vitamin E twice a day. There are over 9 varieties of vitamin E, d-alpha-tocopherol is the best. Check with your health practitioner regarding additional information regarding dosages and administration).

Ultraviolet light has been shown to contribute and to accelerate the growth of cataracts. Those at risk should wear UV blocking sun glasses . It is important to select a quality pair of sunglasses which have both ultraviolet A and B blocking properties.

The best review article on the treatment of cataracts is The Homeopathic Treatment of Incipient Senile Cataract, with Tabulated Results of One Hundred Cases by A.B. Norton, published in the North American Journal of Homeopathy 189. This was a retrospective study looking at the homeopathic treatment of cataracts in 295 Patients. One hundred patients were under treatment for longer than three months. Results: improvement in 58% of cases. The following three remedies where used in 78% of all cases: Causticum, Calcarea phosphorica, and Sepia. Sepia is an important remedy to consider in the menopausal female.

Burnett describes the treatment of post-climacteric cataract using a constitutional course of homeopathic treatment. Once again the totalities of symptoms are used with only one carefully selected remedy. Here are some rubrics from Kent and a few homeopathic remedies:

In Blackwood's, Manual of Materia Medica, Choudhuri's Study on Materia Medica and in Boericke's Pocket Materia Medica, Cineraria is described as being used for the treatment of cataracts and corneal opacities (clouding of the clear front surface of the eye) as a tincture instilled in the eye four to five times a day for several months. In these reports the tincture of Cineraria was used in an allopathic manner and not in a classical homeopathic approach.

EYE, CATARACT

There are 58 remedies listed in Synthesis. I have reviewed several of the bold type remedies and a few others that Norton mentions in his article on the Homeopathic Treatment of Cataracts.

Calcarea carbonica: Dim after getting the head cold. Only one side of objects are visible. Halo around lights. Flickering, sparks, and black dots.

Calcarea fluorica: Sensation of a hair in the eye

Calcarea phosphorica:- Headaches, especially of the right side, pain around the right eye and tired feeling in the right eye. Eyes feel stiff and weak. Dizziness. Rheumatic pains.

Causticum: Norton feels that this probably has the greatest value in the treatment of cataract. Feeling of sand in the eye. Sensation of pressure. Heaviness of the eyelids. Burning and itching. Desire to keep eyes closed. Photophobia. Flashes of light

Magnesia carbonica: Dryness, burning and dimness during menses. Eye itching after dinner

Sepia: Eyes feel weak. Worse towards evening. Better middle of the day, Sharp pains in the eyes. Heaviness of the lids. Twitching of the lids, smarting of the eyes relieved by eating. Headaches worse morning and evening.

Phosphorus: Especially indicated when there are colors before the vision. Black floating spots before the eye and flashes of light.

Silicea: Vision indistinct and misty with flickering before the eyes. Difficulty reading and writing. Words run together.

Sulphur: Dimness of vision as from a fog with a headache. Great sensitiveness to bright daylight. Dimness of vision and weakness of both eyes, with dark spots floating before the eyes. Heaviness and aching while reading. Sensation of a veil before the eyes. Intolerance to sunlight.

Here are some peculiar rubrics and remedies :

EYE, CATARACT, contusion (a bruise to the eye); from: Arn, Con

EYE, CATARACT, operation; after: Arn, Rhus-t, Seneg

EYE, CATARACT, perspiration of feet; after suppressed: Sil

EYE, CATARACT, women; in: Sep

EYE, CATARACT, Cortical (spokes which radiate from the center of the lens): Sulph

EYE, CATARACT, dark day; can see better on a: Euph

Remedies associated with menopause and cataracts are: Sulph, Sep, Apis, Con, Jab, Kali-c, Phos, and Puls.